"Huh—what!?"
The man jerked in shock, nearly knocking the boar off the fire. His eyes widened as he spun toward Zephyrion.
"You... you’re real?"
"...I am."
Now fully turned, Zephyrion took him in. A thick black beard consud most of the man’s face, yet even through it, he could see the sa features as the statue he had seen earlier.
’It’s him.’
Demorian, the third head of house.
Zephyrion watched as the man began to circle him slowly, his gaze fixed on him with fascination.
"Wow... a person. You’re tall. Solid."
Every now and then, he reached out to poke Zephyrion, only to widen his eyes when nothing happened.
"...you’re not disappearing. Huh... you’re real real."
"aty, too."
’Is it really him?’
The man before him was rough, caked in dirt, barely clothed, and utterly unhinged. Nothing about him matched the image of a Calderalth head of house.
"...wait."
Demorian ca to a stop, one hand rising to his chin as he fell into thought.
"...if you’re here... does that an..." His eyes suddenly lit up. "...a Runeborn?"
Zephyrion’s gaze sharpened.
’I was right.’
So he had been expected.
"Yeah... yeah... I rember now. The door, the rod... they only react to soone with insane resonance..."
Demorian muttered to himself before lifting his head to face Zephyrion.
"...you’re a Runeborn, aren’t you?"
"Yes."
"I knew it!"
Demorian clapped his hands, bursting into laughter.
"Haha! Your enemies would say you’ve lost it, Demo... but look at that, you’ve still got it!"
He planted his hands on his waist, chest puffed out as he grinned broadly.
"...."
A brief silence passed before the sharp scent of burning at drifted over.
"Oh shit!"
Demorian rushed back and yanked the boar off the fire.
"Oh no... it’s ruined..."
The mont he saw its completely charred state, he dropped to his knees.
"My juices... my beautiful juices... no..."
"...."
Zephyrion watched the entire display in silence.
The man hailed as the greatest genius in Calderalth’s history... this couldn’t possibly be him, right?
...
It was only after several minutes that Demorian finally recovered. By then, he had buried the boar in a large hole, delivered a solemn speech about the tragedy of its end, and covered it properly.
When he was done, Demorian wiped at the tear at the corner of his eye before walking back toward Zephyrion.
"Thank you... young friend, for being with during this difficult ti."
"...it’s fine."
"No, it’s not fine." Demorian fixed him with a firm look. "You stood by at my lowest. I have to repay you."
"...then, tell more about Runeborns."
"Ah—ah, right! I almost forgot about that, haha." He scratched his head awkwardly. "Sorry, but no, can’t do. You have to pass a series of tests first before that."
"Tests?"
"Yes, tests. Ugh, follow !"
Demorian led him down from the cliff, toward the base of the mountain where a small shack stood in the middle of a wide clearing.
He stopped a short distance away, then suddenly turned, staring at Zephyrion in silence.
’What’s he doing?’
The thought had barely ford when Zephyrion sensed a faint hum in the air.
’Hm?’
His gaze settled on Demorian, and it beca clear the source was him.
Zephyrion couldn’t help but be reminded of his brief encounter with the tal Calamity. Back then, it had used a similar thod to... communicate.
’Let’s see.’
Zephyrion dipped into the WorldPulse and reached out toward the hum. Instantly, a voice echoed within his mind.
’Testing... testing. Buttocks, dicks, penises, breasts... testing... testing—’
"..."
Zephyrion stared at him, a storm of thoughts flickering through his mind, before pushing them aside and responding.
’...I can hear you.’
’What—wait! Who’s there?’
’It’s ...’
’ who? The hell is that supposed to an? Give a na, idiot!’
’...’
Zephyrion lifted his gaze to the man. His expression had twisted, as though he were in the middle of a heated exchange.
’Hey? You deaf? How the hell did you get into my head!?’
’...it’s Zephyrion.’
’Hm? Zephyrion... ah! My friend, why the hell didn’t you say so?’
’...did I pass the test?’
’Hm, what test?’ He paused briefly. ’Ah! Yes, the test. I knew that, haha. Of course, of course, you passed.’
As the connection snapped, Demorian stared at him with a wide grin.
"WOW, you picked that up fast. Your resonance is insane!"
"...thank you." Zephyrion gave a slight nod. "What now?"
"Haha, nothing serious. Hm... next test."
"What is th—"
Zephyrion’s head snapped to the side, catching a flash of gleaming tal slicing past him from behind.
’He attacked .’
He dipped into the WorldPulse, his focus sharpening as his eyes swept the space ahead. The man had vanished.
’Where...’
A faint ripple stirred to his left. A blade ford in his hand in an instant, and he thrust without hesitation.
Clang!
Steel t resistance. Ripples spread through the air, and Demorian’s figure materialized before him the next mont.
"Wow... you can sense this too? That’s crazy."
Zephyrion’s gaze turned cold.
"What are you doing?"
Testing him was one thing. Attacking him outright was another. That, he did not take lightly.
"What does it look like? I’m fighting you. What about this?"
"!!"
Ripples blood all around him, and he felt countless spikes converging on his position.
"Dense do."
A do of tal ford around him in an instant. The barrage struck with explosive force, swallowing the area in a dense haze.
As the dust began to settle, Demorian studied the do with keen interest. There wasn’t a single mark on it. Such solid tal.
A mont later, his eyes narrowed. The do still stood, yet Zephyrion’s presence had vanished entirely.
"Where did—"
His head snapped to the side just as a gleaming blade cut toward his neck.
Demorian’s eyes widened.
"Incredible!"
He vanished at once, leaving Zephyrion’s strike to cut through empty air.
Zephyrion turned, his gaze cold, as Demorian reappeared at a distance.
"You’re perfect... perfect. Your instincts, your comprehension... your resonance... you passed."
He clapped, a wide, excited grin on his face.
"But I guess there’s still one more test you have to pass."
He let out a breath, then fixed Zephyrion with a rare, serious look.
"You... what’s your ultimate goal?"
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